Bags



R. E. HARTIG ETAL BAGS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 27, 1965 Filed July 2,196.54

July 27, 1965 R. E. HARTIG ETAL 3,197,119

BAGS

Filed July 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O i 3,?.91319 BAGSRichard E. Hartig, Edina, and Harold Y. Fox, Minneapolis, Minn.,assignors to Bemis idro. Bag Company, Minneapolis, a corporation ofMissouri .luly 2, 1963, Ser. No. 292,53 9 Claims. 229 62.5)

This invention relates to bags, and more particularly to heavy dutyplastic or plastic-lined valve bags.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provisionyof valve ags of the class described having a valve construction of thetype comprising an opening in a wall of the bag for reception of afilling spout to ll the bag, and provided with means for effectivelysealinU the opening after the bag has been iilled and taken off thespout; the provision of a single ply plastic bag such as described, madeof heat-scalable sheet plastic material; and the provision of amulti-ply bag such as described having an outer body of fabric (such ascotton fabric or burlap), paper, asphalt-laminated paper and burlap, orplastic, and a liner of heat-scalable plastic. Other objects andfeatures will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafterdescribed, the scope of the invention being indicated in the followingclaims.

ln the accompanying drawings, in which several of various possibleembodiments of the invention are illustrated,

FIG. l is a view of a rectangular bag blank of heatsealable plasticprior to folding and heat-sealing to form a single-ply plastic bag,showing a valve component secured thereto;

FIG. 2 isa View of the single-ply valve bag formed from the PEG. lblank;

PEG. 3 is an enlarged section taken on line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FG. 4 is an enlarged section taken on line 4 4 of FG. 2;

PEG. 5 is an enlarged section similar to FlG. 3 showing a iilling spoutentered for filling the bag;

FlG. 6 is a View of another embodiment of the invention having a linerpositioned within an outer bag body;

FIG. 6A is a fragmentary View of the liner per se used in the PEG. 6bag, showing the initial form of a slit ltherein;

FlG. 7 is a fragment of FIG. 6 with parts broken away to show detail;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged section taken on line of PlG. 6;

FlG. 9 is an enlarged section taken on line 9 9 of FlG. 6;

FG. 10 is a view of another embodiment of the invention;

FG. ll is an enlarged section taken on line Ill-ll of FlG. l; and

FlG. l2 is an enlarged section taken on line l2 12 of FIG. lil. i

Corresponding reference characters indicate correspending partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring to FiG. l of the drawings, there is indicated at l arectangular bag blank of lleXible'heat-sealable sheet pastis material,such as polyethylene, adapted to be folded in half on a heightwisecentral fold line indicated at 3 and to be heat-sealed along its sideopposite the fold and along its top and bottom to form a bag. As shownin FlG. l, the blank is provided with an opening in the form of astraight slit extending heightwise adjacent its upper right corner.Overiying this slit 5 on that face of the blank which is on the insidewhen the blank less elastic than fthe bag material.

ll i9 Patented July 27, 1965 is folded is a patch 7. This patch consistsof a rectangular piece of flexible heat-scalable sheet plastic materialhaving an end portion folded over the body portion of the patch on atransverse fold line 9 to form a nap l1. Patch 7 has an opening in theform of a straight transverse slit i3 adjacent the fold 9, locatedbetween the'edge l5 of flap il and the fold 9. f

As appears in FIG. l, the patch 7 extends inward. from the right edge ofthe bag blank adjacent the upper right corner of the blank, overlyingthe slit 5. Flap il is located on the outside of the patch, away fromthe blank. The patch, in its folded condition, is heat-sealed to theblank along its side edges as indicated at 17 and adjacent fold 9 asindicated at 19. This seals the side margins of the flap to the sidemargins of the patch.

PEG. 2 shows a completed bag B formed by folding the blank l in half onfold line 3 (which constitutes one side edge of the bag) and byheat-sealing'the margins of the folded blank opposite the fold asindicated at 2l to form a side seam and by heat-sealing the margins ofthe folded blank at top and bottom to form top and bottom seams 23 and25. The outer end of patch 7 is heat-sealed in the side seam 2l (seeFIG. 3), the patch extending inward from side seam 2li between the wallsof the bag. These walls are designated 27 and 29, wall 27 being the wallhaving slit 5 therein and having patch 7 attached thereto.

ln the completed bag B as shown in FIGS. 2-4, patch 7 underlies the slitS in wall 27, and has its margins (including the margins of flap 1l)secured to wall Z7 at i7, i9 and 2l. Slit i3 in the patch is spacedinward from slit S in wall 27 along the length of the patch (slit 13being located toward the inner end of the patch). Flap il. extends backfrom the inner end of the patch on the opposite face of the patch fromwall 27, underlying the patch and over-lapping the slit i3 in the patch.

As shown in FIG. 5, a lling spout S is adapted for entry throughrslit 5in wall 27, passing between wall 27 and the portion of the patch fromslit 5 to slit i3, and then through slit i3' between iap il and wall 29of the bag. Slit 5 opens up by spreading apart of edges 5a and 5b of thewall 27 which Vdefine the slit 5. Slit l opens up by spreading apart ofedges 13a and i3!) of the patch which deine the slit. Edge portion 15 offlap'll, which initially extended outward beyond the slit i3, is free tospread away from edge i311 (which is the outer edge of slit 13) topermit entry of the spout.

When the bag has beenvlled through the spout, and taken olf the spout(or the `spout withdnawn) the patch lil ftattens out to close the slit 5in wall 2.7, and flap ill reverts to its initial position overlappingslit 1:3 in the patch to function as means for closing the slit 13. Thepatch is preferably made of a flexible sheet plastic material which,while beingthinner than the bag material, is For example, the bagmaterial may be low density s-heet polyethylene having a Vthickness 4oflive mils, :and 4the patch may be made of an oleiin polymer such as thatVsold under the triade designation Marlex TRlOl by Phillips Chemical Co.of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, having a thickness of three mils.Accordingly, when the bag is li-lled, -t-he patch becomes tightlystretched and slits 13 and 5 are eifectively closed to minimize escapeof the bag contents therethrough.

As appears in FIG. 2, the patch 7 is spaced to some extent from 4theupper end of the bag. `It has been found that a lbetter closing actionof the patch is obtained with the patch soV spaced from one end of thebag rather than Vbeing located atan end of the bag.

While as shown in FIGS. 1-5, the bag is made from a folded blank, itwill be understood that it is possible for the bag to be made from alength of tubing (seamless or seemed tubing), the patch being insertedin one er1-dof lap plies, the paper ply (which is on the outside) beingindicated at 35 and the burlap ply being indicated at 37. It will beunderstood that the outer bag body may be made of a texitle fabric perse, such as a cotton fabric or burlap, or .of paper per se, or even of asheet plastic material such .as polyethylene. Liner 33 comprises a bagwhich is the same las bag B shown in FIG. 2 except for la modificationof the slit as Will ibe made clear, and which has a patch 7 the same asshown in FIGS. 1-5. The `outer bag body simply comprises a length of bagtubing made in conventional manner. This yis provided with aconvention-al bottom closure, as indicated at 39. Liner 33 is insertedin the outer bag body, prior to formation of a top closure, and then thelatter is formed in conventional manner. Usually, the bottom closure 39is a stitched closure, the stitching being indicated at 4l in FIG. `6with a closure tape 43 adhered over the stitching. The top closure willusually also be a stitched closure as indicated at 45, the stitchingbeing driven through the upper margin .of the liner 33 above the upper-seal VZ. of the liner. A closure tape like tape 43 may be provided forthe top closure.

Instead of having a straight slit like slit 5 shown in FIG. 2, Wall 27of the liner 33 is initially provided with a slitor cut 51 of tab-deningoutline. FIG. 6A shows 'the liner Iwith slit 51 as initially cuttherein. As shown, this slit 51 is of arcuate shape, convex as viewedfrom the outer end of the patch, the resultant tab 53 thereby having anarcuate tree edge 53a 'toward the outer end of the patch. The tab isadapted to be folded back along a line 55 extending transversely withrespect to the patch between the ends of the slit.. The outer bag bodyhas an opening in the form of -a slit 57 genenal-ly in register withline 55,1and in assembling the liner with the outer bag Y body, the tabis extended out through the slit 57 and folded back -around the edge ofthe outer bag 'body which defines the inner edge of slit 57 to overliethe outside of the louter bag body. The tab is then secured to theoutside of the outer bag body in any suitable manner, as by means of apiece of pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 59. The tlling spout isadapted to be entered through slit 57 in the outer bag body, and thencethrough slit 51 in the liner `and slit 13 in the patch 7, in a mannersimilar to that shown in FIG. 5 'Ilhe tab 53, protruding through thesl-it 57 in the outer bag body and folded around the inner edge of theslit (-the right-hand edge of the slit as appears in FIGS. 6 and 8),minimizes fouling when the spout is inserted.

FIGS. -12 illustrate another multiply bag constructed in accordance withthis invention which is similar to the bag shown in FIGS. 6-9 except fora modification of the patch and a modification of the mode of securement`of the tab Which extends through the slit 57 in Ithe outer bag body 31.In FIGS. 10-12 the patch is designated 7a. It consists simply of aIrectangular piece of flexible heat-scalable sheet plastic materialheat-sealed at its outer end in the side seam 21 of the liner 33 [andheat-sealed along its side margins to wall 27 of the liner as indicatedat 17a, but having its inner end unattached to Wall 27 and open forentry .of a lling spout. Patch 7a does not have a slit or flap such asshown for patch 7. The tab 53 of liner 33 of the bag shown in FIGS.10-12 is secured to the outside of lthe outer bag body by a relativelywide strip of pressure-sensitive adhesive t-ape 61. Approximately halfof the wid-th of this tape overlies the tab and laps over onto theoutside of the outer bag body 31, :as indicated lat 63. The other half65 of the width of this tape is initiallyY free and adapted ultimatelyto overlap the slit 57 in the -outer bag body, the adhesive on this freeportion 65 of the tape being initially protected by a protective strip67. After the bag 'has been filled, strip 67 is peeled cit to expose theadhesive on free portion 65 of the tape, and then the -.atter is lappedover the slit 57 in the outer bag body and adhered thereto all aroundslit 57 for sealing the latter, as indicated in dotted `lines in FIG.12. This is particularly des-irable when the bag is packed with highlycorrosive material such as caustic soda.

In View of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be'rnade yin the above constructions withoutdepart-ing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that lallmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

1.y A bag having a valve formed by an opening in one wall of the bag,and a patchunderlying said opening and secured all around its margin tosaid one wall, said patch having a slit spaced from the opening in saidone wall of the bag located toward one end of the patch constitutingitsinner end and positioned in relation to the opening in said one Wall ofthe bag for entry of a lling spout first through the opening in said onewall of the bag and then through the slit in the patch, the slitextending transversely of the patch, the bag having means associatedwith the patch for closing the slit in the patch after the bag has beenlled through the spout and the spout withdrawn.

Z. A bag as set forth in claim l wherein the means fo closing the slitcomprises a flap which extends back over the slit in the patch from theinner end of the patch and has a free edge portion located outward ofand adjacent the slit in the patch adapted to spread away from the outeredge of the slit in the patch to permit entry of the spout.

3. A bag as set forth in claim 2 wherein the bag and the patch areformed of ditterent plastic materials, the plastic material from whichthe patch is formed being less elastic than the plastic material fromwhich the bag is formed, whereby when the bag is lled the patch istightly stretched.

4. A bag made of flexible heat-scalable sheet plastic material andhaving a Valve formed by -a slit in one wall thereof, and a patch ofexible heat-sealable sheet plastic material heat-sealed all around itsmargin to the inside of said one wall and underlying said slit, saidpatch have ing a slit located toward one end thereof constituting itsinner end spaced from and generally parallel to the slit in said oneWall of the bag, an integral end portion of the patch constituting aflap being folded over on a fold line at the inner end of the patch andextending back over the slit in the patch and underlying the slit in thepatch, the side margins of the flap being heat-sealed to the sidemargins of the patch.

5. A bag as set forth in claim 4 wherein the material of the patch is ofless elasticity than the material of the bag.

6. A bag comprising an outer bag body and an inner liner, said bagAhaving a valve formed by an opening n one Wall of theouter body, a tabon the adjacent Wall of the liner formed by a cut in the liner wall,said tab extending through the opening in the outer body and folded overupon and secured to the outside of said one Wall of the outer body, anda patch secured to the inside of said one wall of the liner underlyingthe opening in the latter formed by the tab-defining cut therein, saidpatch being adapted to permit entry of a filling spout through theopeningV in said one Wall of the outer body, and through said opening insaid one Wall of the liner and between the latter and the patch With theinner end of the spout communicating with the 4interior of the bag forlling the bag and to close the opening after the bag has been lled andthe spout withdrawn.

7. A bag as set forth in claim 6 wherein said patch is secured allaround its margin to said one wall o' the liner and has an openingspaced from the cut therein located toward one end of the patchconstituting its inner end and positioned in relation to Vthe cut forentry of the filling spout through the opening in said one wall of theouter body, the 4opening in said one Wall of the liner and then throughthe opening in the patch.

8. A bag as set forth in claim 7 wherein the patch opening is a slit andthere is a flap associated with the patch which extends back over theslit in the patch from the -inner end of the patch, the ap having a freeedge portion located outward of and adjacent the slit in the patchadapted to spread away from the outer edge of the slit in the patch topermit entry of the spout.

9. A bag as set forth in claim S wherein the liner and patch are formedof different plastic materials, the plastic material from which thepatch is formed being less elastic than the plastic material from whichthe liner is formed, whereby when the bag is filled the patch is tightlystretched.

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANKLIN T.GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A BAG HAVING A VALVE FORMED BY AN OPENING IN ONE WALL OF THE BAG, ANDA PATCH UNDERLYING SAID OPENING AND SECURED ALL AROUND ITS MARGIN TOSAID OPENING AND HAVING A SLIT SPACED FROM THE OPENING IN SAID ONE WALLOF THE BAG LOCATED TOWARD ONE END OF THE PATCH CONSTITUTING ITS INNEREND AND POSITIONED IN RELATION TO THE OPENING IN SAID ONE WALL OF THEBAG FOR ENTRY OF A FILLING SPOUT FIRST THROUGH THE OPENING IN SAID ONEWALL OF THE BAG AND THEN THROUGH THE SLIT IN THE PATCH, THE SLITEXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE PATCH, THE BAG HAVING MEANS ASSOCIATEDWITH THE PATCH FOR CLOSING THE SLIT IN PATCH AFTER THE BAG HAS BEENFILLES THROUGH THE SPOUT AND THE SPOUT WITH DRAWN.